National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams at MNIT Jaipur

The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, has recognized the National Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management of Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur to be the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams. The Centre is first of its kind in the country, which is commissioned to:

(a) Work synergistically with dam engineers, regulators and policy makers, and

(b) Develop indigenous capabilities to make India self-reliant in handling the technology issues related to Structural and Earthquake Safety of dams in India, because earthquake shaking is the most significant threat to the safety of dams.

The scope of activities of the Centre is:

(1) Institutional Capacity Development of MNIT Jaipur,

(2) Capacity Development of dam engineers, regulators, and policy makers,

(3) Technology Demonstration, through pilot study of select dams,

(4) Development and revision of Standards of BIS, and review of CWC Manuals related to earthquake safety of dams, and

(5) International Collaboration.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, has approved a Financial Grant of about Rs. 30 Crores for establishing and running the Center for 5 years.

To give impetus to this mission of dam safety in the country, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the National Dam Safety Authority (Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, New Delhi) and the Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur (Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi) on 22 May 2023.